A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply
Chapter Ten: Stanzas
Robin crouched low in against the stairwell. The abandoned hotel only had fifty rooms originally, and the young detective chided himself for not thinking about squatting super villains turning the Gallows Way into a hideout. He snorted softly and admired the irony. The inn was built on the road to Levitz Hill, where criminals were hung back in the rough and tumble beginnings of Jump City. Robin closed his eyes and counted out the enemies: Blackfire, Cheshire, Cinderblock, Red X… and someone else. He knew there were five.
So where are they? He asked himself. Robin slowly got up, his shoulder throbbing with pain and he stealthily made his way down stairs. Under the Gallows Way Inn was a warren of mechanical rooms, plumbing fixtures, laundries, and dry bulk storage. The Teen Wonder moved quickly; it wouldn't take long for someone to discover his escape. He opened the door to the expansive laundry and breathed out a small, "Thank god."
In the center of the room was a large glass cylinder, and inside was a pale, cloaked girl.
"Raven!"
Raven leaned against the glass; her large violet eyes were blank and vacant. Robin rushed over and rapped on the cylinder, but she didn't respond.
"Raven! It's me! Wake up!" the Teen Wonder called desperately. He soon found the hinge and tried to pop out the pin. Raven was taking slow, shallow breaths.
"They pumped her cage full of gas. Keeps her nice and docile."
Robin turned quickly and saw the Red X leaning against the doorway. Robin raised his guard, but the X shrugged and folded his arms.
"I knew you'd get out, kid. You're the best. I can't believe I just said that, but yeah. It's true."
"I'm not in the mood, X."
"I bet you're wondering if I've called the others or not," X taunted. "Well, I haven't. Not yet."
"Get to the point," Robin growled.
X leapt into the center of the room and landed in front of Robin. He leaned in menacingly. "Well, boyo, I want to offer you a trade."
"What?"
"I give you the witch and the buffoon, and I keep the princess."
Robin replayed the last second three more times in his mind. Shock and revulsion filled the young warrior with each moment. Robin lashed out, and wrapped his arm about X's neck. He raised his right arm and stuck the X's back as hard as he could, but a sharp burn ripped through his shoulder. The Teen Wonder grimaced and groaned in pain.
X rabbit punched Robin in the side and drove him into the cylinder.
"Hurt yourself did we?" X said.
Robin kneed the X in the jaw, flipped over the black clad villain, and slammed X's head into the glass. Three times. The glass rung like a bell, X dropped to his knees, woozy, and concussed.
"No deal, X."
Robin quickly slapped X's gloved hands against the glass door and triggered the hidden weapons. The thick glass cracked. Robin drove X's head into the door once more, sending down a heavy shower of broken glass. The Teen hero jumped through the door and covered the drugged Raven in his armored cape. He scooped her up in his arms and cried out in pain. The torn muscle in his shoulder ripped even more as it began to buckle under Raven's weight.
"Come on, Rae," Robin groaned, nearly dropping her.
Raven looked up blankly.
Her senses were filled with random visions, bright clouds of color, sweet aromas, but now she only saw him. He held her close, so warm, so strong.
"I need you, Rae," she heard him say softly.
She smiled and threw her arms about his powerful shoulders. They tumbled, and she landed on him. Raven gave into a fit of giggles, but she was soon quieted by Robin's finger to her soft lips. The young girl looked up at her savior, her brave, her handsome, her magnificent Teen Wonder.
"Everything is perfect," she said before crushing her lips to his.
…..
Komand'r lowered herself slowly into the steaming bubble bath. Her long midnight black tresses were pulled into a neat series of braids that coiled in on themselves, and her large lavender eyes closed wistfully. She thanked X'hal that she claimed the entire floor for her personal use, and relaxed in the only decent, and decadent, bathroom this miserable excuse for a hotel had to offer. The large, claw foot tub was the only remainder of the inn's glory days decades ago. Blackfire purred as she immersed herself in the hot water, and she playfully blew perfumed bubbles out of her hands. The villainous beauty reached over the edge of the tub for her glass of red wine and sipped it as she stretched out, even raising her toes out of the bubbles coyly. She laughed darkly at her plans. Each piece was falling into such delicious place.
Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and the hairs on her neck stood. Blackfire heard the raspy breath of someone else in the suite.
"This had better be good, Psimon," she spat.
"Ah, there you are," Psimon said as he began to float toward the doorway of the bathroom.
"Move another inch closer, and I'll vaporize you where you stand, you perverted toad."
Psimon's lips turned upward into to hideous grin. "I just wanted to inform her ladyship that one of her prisoners has escaped."
"What?" she bellowed. She quickly got out of the tub and pulled a dress robe about her lean body.
"Oh, don't worry your very pretty little head, miss; everything's already taken care of."
….
Robin shifted Raven in his arms. He felt as if his right shoulder was about to be ripped off, but he persevered and carried the pale witch out of the room.
"I need you to keep still, Rae!" Robin said, his voice full of pain.
Raven wildly threw her arm around his neck. Robin stumbled off balance and tripped over the sudden shift. They rolled gracelessly, and Raven crashed on his chest, nearly knocking the wind out of him. The pale witch suddenly laughed drunkenly and loudly. Robin quickly covered her mouth with a "Sh!"
Raven blinked several times, and she smiled muttering something too soft and slurred for Robin to understand. Then she suddenly slammed her lips to his an awkward, intoxicated kiss.
"Well, at least you're coming to," Robin commented as she broke away. He helped her to her untried legs. Raven buckled several times, but Robin caught her with is good arm. He wrapped his arm about her waist, and she tried to whisper something in his ear.
"Now isn't the best time for that, Raven," Robin said kindly. He knew she wasn't in control and hoped that her powers didn't accidentally trigger.
"First you bag Star, and now you're going after Rae?" a young, angry voice called from behind them.
Robin turned as best as he could. "Beast Boy! Man, am I glad you got free. I could really use some…"
Beast Boy stood, his body shaking with pent up energy. A cold glare and a vicious snarl replaced his usual jovial expressions. "You sonofabitch!" Beast Boy yelled as he charged. Robin pushed Raven toward the wall and narrowly missed the leaping dewclaw of the velociraptor his friend changed into. The claws missed, but the heavy tail did not.
Beast Boy slammed Robin into the wall, and only years of training saved Robin from broken ribs. The Teen Wonder responded with a hard strike to the top of the raptor's snout, momentarily dazing it.
"Garfield, what's the hell is the matter with you?" Robin yelled.
The changeling answered with a head butt to Robin's chest, knocking him to the ground and pinning him, face first. Beast Boy changed back into his human form, locking Robin's already hurt shoulder into a painful grapple.
"It's always you! Robin this… Robin that… Robin gets all the love and all the girls!"
"You're not… making… any….sense!"
"Well not anymore!" Beast Boy continued, not paying any attention to what Robin was saying.
"Beast! Heel!"
Beast Boy slid off Robin, transforming into a tiger. He coiled around the bare feet of Blackfire, her bathrobe clinging to her body, with Psimon and Cheshire behind her. The cruel grin on Psimon's face was more unsettling than the painted one on Cheshire's.
Robin looked over to Raven, still groggy from the effects of the drugs, and slowly stood. He gripped his shoulder, and his right arm hung limply at his side.
"Oh, dear, foolish little bird," Blackfire said saccharinely, "can't you see that it's over? You have lost."
She raised her hand and fired a purple starbolt.